Islamic Fasting and Health: Difference between revisions

{{Quote||This change of meal schedule is accompanied with changes in sleep habits, such as delayed and shortened sleep periods, which may affect endocrine and neuroendocrine circadian patterns. Several cardiovascular parameters (i.e., heart rate, blood pressure, vascular tone, and coagulation-fibrinolysis) show circadian pattern. Several studies reported that autonomic activity and melatonin rhtyhmicity may be responsible for circadian patterns of cardiovascular parameters. '''Changes of sleep habit in Ramadan affects autonomic activity and melatonin rhtyhmicity'''. The other negative effects may be that, during fasting patients with cardiovascular disease cannot consume medications, such as anti-ischemic, anti-platelet, anti-hypertensive drugs, and drugs of heart failure on time. Some patients may get admitted to the hospital with cardiovascular symptoms owing to failure of therapy.<ref>"Does Ramadan modify the Circadian Patterns?" - Journal of Postgraduate Medicine, March 2006, Vol. 52 Issue 1 [https://tspace.library.utoronto.ca/bitstream/1807/6924/1/jp06011.pdf pdf]</ref>}}

Fasting during Ramadan is distinct from regular voluntary or experimental fasting. This project was conducted to objectively assess the effect of Ramadan fasting on sleep architecture, daytime sleepiness and the circadian cycle of melatonin level. Eight healthy volunteers reported to the Sleep Disorders Center on four occasions for polysomnography and multiple sleep latency tests: 1) an initial visit for adaptation; 2) 2 weeks before Ramadan (BL); and 3,4) during the first and third weeks of Ramadan (R1, R3). Salivary melatonin level was measured using radioimmunoassay. Sleep latency at night was significantly shorter and the amount of rapid eye movement sleep was significantly less, at R3 compared to BL. There was no difference in multiple sleep latency test data between BL and Ramadan. Although melatonin level kept the same circadian pattern at BL, R1 and R3, '''it had a flatter slope and a significantly lower peak at midnight (00:00) at R1 and R3.''' '''This study showed a significant reduction in sleep latency and rapid eye movement sleep during the third week of Ramadan fasting.''' Otherwise, there was no significant effect of Ramadan on sleep architecture and assessment revealed no increase in daytime sleepiness. Although melatonin level had the same circadian pattern during Ramadan, the '''level of the hormone dropped significantly from baseline.'''<ref>Ahmed BAHAMMAM/Sleep Disorders Center, Respiratory Unit, Department of Medicine, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia</ref>}}